Gumming apparatus for envelope making machines



May 24, 1938. E. B. BERKO'WITZ GUMMING APPARATUS FOR ENVELOPE MAKING MACHINES Filed Dec. 26, 1955 2 heets-Sheet l INVENTOR Ill in! I fierkowifz,

ATTORNEY y 193$ E. B. BERKOWITZ 2,118,035

GUMMING APPARATUS FOR ENVELOPE MAKING MACHINES Filed Dec. 26, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 35 '77 7.9 Z4 23 L9 Z2 INVENTOR [age/2 fierkowiiz BY ATTOREVEY Patented May 24, 1938 UNITED STATES GUMMTING APPARATUS FOR ENVELOPE MAKING MACHINES Eugene B. Berkowitz, Kansas City, Mo., assignor to Baltimore Paper Company, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application December 26, 1935, Serial No. 56,226

7 Claims.

This invention relates to envelope making machines, and particularly to those of the type illustrated in the United States patent issued to Winkler and Dunnebier, No. 2,008,236, under date of July 16th, 1935, wherein the sealing flaps of envelope blanks are gummed and dried prior to folding.

In machines of this character the blanks are conveyed in continuous overlapped relation, with only that portion of the sealing flaps exposed to which gum is to be applied by means of a wiper strip yieldably supported in contact with the moving blanks. Since it'is impossible to obtain uniform contact of the wiping strip across the width thereof, the gum is applied in streaks, with some portions scantily covered while other portions are excessively coated. Due to the excess application of the gum, it is necessary to pass the blanks through a long drying tunnel, wherein they are subjected to heat, which heat results in curling or warping of the flaps so that they will not lie in a fiat plane.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to apply the gum uniformly across the width of the flaps in exactly the correct amount so that the flaps may be dried without being subjected to heat to obviate the curling tendency thereof.

It is also an important object of the present invention to provide an applicator which is readily adjusted for application of gum to selected portions of the flaps, or to flaps of different width- In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, hereinafter pointed out, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an envelope machine equipped with a gum applicator embodying the features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the applicator, particularly illustrating the gum pickup, transfer and applicator rollers.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, illustrating the method of supporting the trans fer and applicator rollers.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a detail section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3, particularly illustrating the gearing for driving the respective rollers.

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the fer roller supporting rod and bracket.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

I designates an envelope machine of the type as illustrated in the above mentioned patent, and which includes parallel side frames 2, having suitable bearings for journaling the operating transshafts 3 that mount spaced pairs of conveyor belts 4-5 and 6-1. The conveyor belts 4 and 6 comprise relatively narrow flat belts, having runs 8 operating over a support 9, across which the envelope blanks are carried from a fanning out or timing mechanism ID to a drying belt I I.

The belts 5 and I are of substantially the same width and spacing as the belts 4 and 6, and have runs I2 operating directly over the runs 8 to clamp the side portions of the blanks therebetween and effect their orderly movement down the support 9.

As pointed out in the above mentioned patent, the fanning mechanism l0 effects overlap of the blanks in continuous order with only that part of the sealing flaps exposed to which the gum is to be applied, as shown in Fig. 1, and the overlapped blanks are fed in continuous order to the drying belts, which carry them to the folding section of the machine (not illustrated). 1

When the gum is applied to the blanks by means of a wiper strip, it is diflicult to obtain uniform pressure against the entire width of the strip, and I have, therefore, provided an improved method for effecting uniform application of the gum, as now to be described.

I3 designates a cross bar that is located at a convenient point intermediate the length of the belt runs 8 and I2, to support an applicator mechanism generally designated I4, the ends of the cross bar being rigidly supported from the side frames 2 of the envelope machine. The applicator mechanism includes a pan I5 that is mounted on the cross bar I3 at a point substantially midway of the side frames 2. This pan or reservoir I5 is preferably of rectangular shape and has substantially perpendicular end and rear walls I6 and IT, a forwardly inclined front wall I8, and fiat bottom I9. The top of the pan is open to accommodate a pickup roller 20, which is rotatably supported so that the lower portion thereof normally operates in a body of liquid gum 2|, contained in the pan.

The pickup roller 20 is mounted on a shaft 22, having its ends journaled in bearings 23 and 24 carried by arms 25 and 26 that have their rear ends 21 and 28 pivotally supported at the rear of the pan on a rod 29, the rod 29 being supported by means of brackets 30 and 3| fixed to and projecting from the cross bar I3. Forward ends 32 and 33 of the armsare provided with bearings 34 and 35 for mounting a cross shaft 36, extending therebetween in parallel relation with the shaft of the pickup roller to mount an applicator roller 31 which normally bears upon the envelope blanks as they are conveyedacross the support 9.

The applicatorroller is spaced from the periphery of the pickup roller and the pickup roller .is supported in such a position that only the lower portion thereof moves in the body of gum, however I provide for supporting the pickup rollor out of contact with the gum whenever it becomes necessary to suspend operation of the applicator, as when adjusting the rollers to the size of blanks being run through the machine. This is accomplished by means of a lever arm 38 pivotally mounted on a pin 39, carried by the arm 25, and having a depending portion 48 provided with a laterally extending stop pin 4i adapted to engage a pin 42, which projects rearwardly from the cross bar l3, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 5. The opposite end of the lever extends upwardly and terminates in a handle 43 wherewith the lever may be actuated to move the pin 4| to and from supporting position relatively to the pin 42.

The applicator roller 31 is of shorter length than the pickup roller, and is adapted for longitudinal adjustment on its shaft so that a selective portion thereof may be contacted with a transfer roller 44, later described. The applicator roller, being formed of yieldable material, such as rubber, automatically retains its adjusted position on the shaft so that no other securing means is necessary.

The transfer roller 44 is formed of material similar to that used in construction of the applicator roller, and is mounted on a shaft 45 that is fioatingly supported between arms 46 and 4'1 so positioned that the roller is supported in rolling contact with the surfaces of the applicator and pick-up rollers 31 and 28, respectively. The arms 46 and 41 are preferably formed of wirelike material having bent ends 46 and 41' to engage against the ends of the shaft 45 and have their opposite ends fixed in collars I1 and I8 that are longitudinally adjustable upon a rod 19 by means of set screws 88 and 8|, threadedly mounted in the collars I1 and I8 and having their shanks bearing against the rod I9. In order to permit ready removal and application of the rod 19, it is provided with eyes 82 and 83 that are adapted to engage over upwardly extending fingers 84 and 85 on a bracket 86 carried by the roller supporting arm 26. The opposite end of the rod is supported in horizontal alignment by means of a bracket 81 fixed to the other arm 25, the bracket 86 having an opening 88 therein to pass the end of the rod. Also adjustable on the rod intermediate the collars I1 and 18 are similar collars 89 and 98 carrying depending curved arms 9| and 92 engaging the periphery of the transfer roller to retain it in rolling contact with the surfaces of the pick-up and applicator rollers.

In order to drive the pickup and applicator rollers, one of the conveyor shafts 3 is provided with a sprocket wheel 48 that is operably connected with a similar sprocket 49 by means of a chain belt 58 operating over the respective sprockets. The sprocket 49 is mounted on a stub'shaft 5l carried by the cross bar [3 and carries a pinion gear 52 in driving connection therewith. Fixed on one end of the pickup roller shaft 22 is a gear 253 meshing with the pinion gear 52 for rotating the pickup roller. The applicator shaft is driven by a gear 55 meshing with an idler gear 54, which is driven by the gear 58, the idler gear being carried on a stub shaft 93 secured to the arm 26.

If desired, the support 8 may be provided with an opening 58 in which is mounted a roller 51 cooperating with the applicator roller to assure positive movement of the blanks therebetween.

This latter roller is driven by a gear 58 which meshes with the gear 55 as shown in Fig. 6.

With the construction thus far described, the pickup roller is rotated in an anti-clockwise direction, Fig. 2, to pick up and carry the gum to the transfer roller, which is caused to rotate in a clockwise direction incidental to its floating contact with the pickup roller. A portion of the gum is then transferred from the pickup roller by means of the transfer roller to the portion of the applicator roller 31 with which the transfer roller contacts, the applicator roller being driven counter-clockwise, and in the same direction as the movement of the envelope blanks.

In order to regulate the amount of gum picked up by the roller 28, I provide a doctor roller 59 that is mounted on a shaft 68, having its ends rotatably carried in eccentric bearings 6| and 62, which are in turn rotatably positioned in bearing bosses 63 and 64 carried by the arms and 26, as best shown in Fig. 1. The eccentrics are provided with lugs 65 and 86, having serrated portions 61 to facilitate adjustment of the eccentrics in the bearing bosses, when regulating the contact pressure of the doctor roller with the pickup roller to control the thickness of the gum film being carried thereby to the transfer roller. The doctor roller is driven from the pickup roller by means of a gear 68 fixed on the opposite end I of the shaft 22 from the gear 53, and which meshes with a gear 69 on the adjacent projecting end of the doctor roller shaft, as best shown in Fig. 1.

In adjusting the applicator to apply gum for the full width of the sealing flaps, one end of the applicator roller is so located upon the shaft 36 that it aligns with one side edge of the sealing flaps, and the opposite end of the transfer roller is adjusted to align with the opposite ends of the flaps. The transfer roller 44 is positioned by loosening the set screws 88 and 8| and shifting the collars 11 and 18 along the shaft so that ends 48' and 41' retain the roller in desired position. The set screws 88 and 8| are then re-tightened. The collars 89 and 98 are then spaced intermediate the collars 11 and 18 so that the curved arms 9| and 92 retain the transfer roller in floating contact with the pick-up and applicator rollers'. It is thusapparent that the adjacent ends of the rollers overlap a distance corresponding to the width of the flaps, thus the width of the gum stripe as applied to the applicator roller is only the width of the flaps. The applicator roller is then lowered into contact with the blanks by releasing the pin 4| from engagement with the pin 42.

The pickup roller is then supported in contact with the gum contained in the pan l5, and the gear 53 is in meshingv relation with the pinion gear 52 to drive the pickup and doctor rollers so that the gum picked up'by the rollei 28 is thinned out and spread uniformly over the surface there-. of by the doctor roller. The contact pressure which regulates the thickness of the gum is adjusted by manipulating the position of the eccentrics in the bearing bosses. The doctor roller distributes the gum in uniform thickness over the surface of the pickup roller which carries the gum to the transfer roller. The transfer roller upon picking up the gum, transfers it uniformly to the contacting portion of the applicator roller, which roller, being driven .in the same direction as the movement of the blanks,

deposits the gum on the exposed portions of the uniformly across the entire width of the sealing flaps so that all portions of the flaps dry uni- 4 it is not necessary to apply heat thereto while the blanks are being moved through the'drying tunnel, at least it is not necessary to heat the blanks to as high a degree as required where the flaps contain excessive amounts of gum, as in the case of present machines.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a glue applicator wherewith the glue may be selectively applied in predetermined quantities either across the entire width of the flaps, or to any selected portion thereof, depending upon the relative positions of the transfer and applicator rollers to each other and to the blanks.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for applying gum to the sealing flaps of envelopes while being conveyed in overlapping relation with only the portions of the sealing flaps exposed to which the gum is to be applied, including an applicator roller, means supporting the applicator roller in rolling contact with exposed portions of the flaps, a gum pick-up roller, means supporting a body of gum in contact with the gum pick-up roller, means support-'- ing the pick-up roller in spaced relation with the applicator roller, means for driving said-rollers, and a transfer roller floatingly supported in free rolling contact with said pick-up and applicator rollers to transfer gum from the pick-up roller to the applicator roller.

2. An apparatus for applying gum to the seal-. ing flaps of envelopes while being conveyed in overlapping relation with only the portions of the sealing flaps exposed to which the gum is to be applied, including an applicator roller, means supporting the applicator roller in rolling contact with exposed portions of the flaps, a gum pick-up roller, means supporting a body of gum in contact with the gum pick-up roller, means supporting the pick-up roller in spaced relation with the applicator roller, means for driving said rollers, a transfer roller floatingly supported in free rolling contact with said pick-up and applicator rollers to transfer gum from the pick-up roller to the applicator roller, and means guidingly retaining the transfer roller to apply the gum to a selective area of the applicator roller. 3. An apparatus for applying gum to the sealing flaps of envelopes while being conveyed in overlapping relation with only the portions of the sealing flaps exposed to which the gum is to be applied, including an applicator roller, means supporting the applicator roller in rolling contact with exposed portions of the flaps, a gum pick-up roller, means supporting a body of gum in contact'with .the gum pick-up roller, means supporting the pick-up roller in spaced relation with the applicator roller, means for driving said rollers, a transfer roller floatingly supported in free rolling contact with said pick-up and applicator rollers to transfer gum from the pick-up-roller to the applicator roller, and means for limiting floating movement of the transfer roller.

4. An apparatus for applying gum to the sealing flaps of envelopes while being conveyed in overlapping relation with only the portions of the sealing flaps exposed to which gum is to be applied, including an applicator roller, means supporting the applicator roller in contact with exposed portions of the sealing flaps, a gum pickup roller, means supporting a body of gum in contact with the pick-up roller, means supporting said pick-up roller in spaced relation with the applicator roller, means for driving said rollers, a

transfer roller floatingly supported in free rolling contact with said pick-up and applicator rollers, a guide support carried in parallel relation with the axis of said rollers, and guide arms adjustably carried on, the guide support and engaging the ends of the transfer roller to guidingly retain the transfer roller in floating contact with said pickup and applicator rollers.

5. An apparatus for applying gum to the sealing flaps of envelopes while being conveyed in overlapping relation with only the portions of the sealing flaps exposed to which gum is to be applied, including an applicator roller, means supporting the applicator roller in contact with exposed portions of the sealing flaps, a gum pickup roller, means supporting a body of gum in 'contact with the pick-up roller, means supporting said pick-up roller in spaced relation with the applicator roller, means for driving said rollers, a transfer roller floatingly supported in free rolling contact with said pick-up and applicator rollers, a guide support carried in parallel relation with the axis of said rollers, guide arms adjustably carried on the guide support and engaging the ends of the transfer roller to guidingly retain the transfer roller in floating contact with said pickup and applicator rollers, and means for 'selectively limiting floating movement of the transfer roller.

6. An apparatus for applying gum to the sealing flaps of envelopes while being conveyed in overlapping relation with only the portions of the sealing flaps exposed to which gum is to be applied, including an applicator roller, means supporting the applicator roller in rolling contact with exposed portions of the flaps, a backing roller engagingthe opposite portions of the envelopes to cooperate with the applicator roller to effect positive movement of the envelopes therebetween, a gum pick-up roller, means supporting a body of gum in contact with the gum pick-up roller, means supporting the pickup roller in spaced relation with the applicator roller, means for driving said rollers, and a transfer roller floatingly supported in free rolling contact with said pick-up and applicator rollers to transfer gum from the pick-up roller to the applicator roller.

'7. An apparatus for applying gum to the sealing flaps of envelopes while being conveyed in overlapping relation with only the portions of the sealing flaps exposed to which gum is to be applied-including an applicator roller, means-sup-' therebetween, a gum pick-up roller, means sup-' porting a body of gum in contact withthe gum pick-up roller, means supporting the pick-up rollerin spaced relation with the applicator roller,

means for driving said rollers, a transfer roller floatingly supported in free rolling contact with said pick-up andapplicator rollers to transfer gum from thepick-uproller to the applicator roller, and means guidingly retaining the transfer roller to apply gum to a selected area of the applicator roller.

EUGENE B. BERlKOWI'IZ. t" 

